


Not a day goes by where I don't miss him

by LordDWH



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Minor Character Death, Rare Characters, grieving character, talk of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29901915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordDWH/pseuds/LordDWH
Summary: She shrugged. “I wish I knew.” Nora leaned back on the chair, resting her head against the wood of the house she had been staying in. “Guess it’s the truth, seeing his grave would just confirm that he’s… gone,” and finally she let the tears fall as she began to sob into her palm, trying not to make the situation more awkward for both her and John than what it already was.
Relationships: Lemuel Fike/red dead online protagonist (mentioned)





	Not a day goes by where I don't miss him

“And Lem? How is he doing?” Nora winced at the question and immediately that sweet smile dropped when he finished asking it. John didn't notice the way her breathing grew rapid or how uncomfortable she became from standing there.

“He… he died. A little more than two years ago actually.” She spoke slowly and carefully, drawing out the words as she struggled to correctly form the sentence without being reduced to tears. John’s face softened, after losing Arthur he knew the pain of losing a loved one but his relationship with Arthur was far more different to what Lem and Nora had. 

“I’m… sorry to hear that, miss.” He tried his best to sound comforting but it only sounded like he was forced to be saying this against his will. Nora shook her head to dismiss it, there wasn’t anything he needed to apologise over after all.

“Please don’t, last I checked you had nothing to do with it.” She chuckled.

John shuffled nervously, unsure of what else to say. The topic of death wasn’t particularly one he was ever good at discussing. But he was curious about it. “If you don’t mind, but what happened?”

Nora froze on the spot, holding tightly on the railing in front and her breathing didn’t get any better. If anything it got more shallow and laboured. “I don’t know.”

She let out a quiet sigh, finally mustering the strength to push a way and take a seat, mostly because she felt like she was going to faint on the spot. “Kieran and him went out and by the time Kieran returned, Lem was gone…”

“Kieran?”

“Kieran Duffy, s’pose we never mentioned that to you. Kid somehow survived the O’Driscolls.” She said. “He didn’t know what happened but he had to stay with Lem throughout it all, and was too weak to bring him back so the next morning Cripps and him went out to bury him.”

“It must have been hard… finding out about this and not being able to do anything about it.”

“No, the hardest part is still coming to terms with me never having the chance to say goodbye. We weren’t talking that day and before I knew it he was gone, like that.”

Hesitantly, John leaned over and gently patted her shoulder. The action was well intended but it made Nora feel more awkward than needed. She smiled awkwardly in his direction, blinking away some tears but some still rolled down her cheeks. “I couldn’t bring myself to accept it, I still don’t want to but there’s not a lot I can do now.”

“For the longest time I expected him to walk through that door, this bright smile on his face and it all to be some form of joke. That never happened but I held on to that belief for so long, too long.” John remained silent throughout their conversation, sparsely nodding while she talked to show he was still listening.

“Not a day goes by where I don’t miss him, but Christ do I wish I had what it took to go see him one last time. I haven’t been to his grave at all since then, Kieran has tried getting me to go up there but there’s always some excuse when in reality, I’m just scared.”

“Scared of what exactly?”

She shrugged. “I wish I knew.” Nora leaned back on the chair, resting her head against the wood of the house she had been staying in. “Guess it’s the truth, seeing his grave would just confirm that he’s… gone,” and finally she let the tears fall as she began to sob into her palm, trying not to make the situation more awkward for both her and John than what it already was.

Like how Arthur was, John had no idea how to react. Should he sit and let her cry it out or go over and hug her? There was a worry about upsetting her more so eventually he settled for placing his hand back on her shoulder and giving her a reassuring squeeze… it was better than nothing. “Maybe we should go up there one day.”

“I don’t think I can, Marston. Even my own brothers can’t drag me up there, they hated Lem and even they took the time to pay their respects. Makes me realise how awful of a person I really am if I can’t go see my husband after death.” 

“The offer still stands Mrs Fike.”

Nora forced a smile as she watched him get up and leave, however, when he had reached the bottom of the steps did she finally gain enough strength to walk over to him. She gave him a quick hug and when pulling a way Nora thanked him, for his visit was just what she needed.


End file.
